Legends
by xoShane22ox
Summary: Shane/OC Chloe. No crazy Shane - life during and after the apocalypse. Nothing is canon, all events were created by me. There aren't enough good Shane fics out there, so here's this one.
1. Preface

Saturday mornings had always been my favorite. Making pancakes while the kids watched cartoons and Shane sat at the table with a coffee mug while he cleaned his guns. Once breakfast was ready he'd clean the table off and help me make plates for the kids. Once they were settled and we were making our own plates, he never failed to "accidentally" bump into me, just so he could smack my butt through my silky robe.

This Saturday morning was different entirely. I sat in our bedroom with the lights off and the windows closed. No matter how hard I tried to fight them, tears flowed down my cheeks. Ten years. How did the time go by so quickly? Ten years since reality became our nightmares. All that we had lost consumed me in those moments. Shane's family, my family, our friends and those that didn't make it: Amy, Jacqui, Dale, T Dog, Lori, Andrea, Hershel, Beth. My heart ached with grief at the thought of all of them, their cruel deaths.

"Mommy, why you cryin?" Riley looked at me from the doorway.

"Mommy's fine, baby," I try to reassure her, "why don't you ask Daddy to make you some breakfast?"

"I want you to make it," she declared. "I want paincakes."

Despite my own thoughts, I couldn't help but smile at the way she was beginning to take on her Daddy's accent.

"I bet Daddy would make you some if you asked him to," I nodded. "Mommy just needs some rest."

This is the first year that one of my children has noticed my behavior on this day. Riley had always been too little, and Brantley was even younger. But this year Riley was 4 and she didn't miss it. Brantley, being only 2 didn't notice a thing, which I was grateful for. My babies didn't need to be involved or affected by this. We lost enough in those years, my babies' innocence I would not allow to be added to that list.

"Ey," Shane's voice came from the doorway. "S'goin on?"

"Nothing," I shook my head and tried to nonchalantly wipe my tears, though I wasn't sure he could see them in the dark.

"Riles said you're sad, said you woul'nt make her paincakes?"

I couldn't help but chuckle as he echoed our daughter's words in his own thick accent.

"I told her to ask you to make them," I said, my voice strained and small.

He eyed me from the doorway for a minute before walking into the room and sitting down beside me on the bed.

"I know what day it is," he said after a while. "Tin years."

I stayed silent but pulled my knees closer to my chest. He wrapped his arm around my shoulders and pulled me closer to him, planting a kiss on my forehead.

"Darlin," he paused, "I cain't tell ya that e'r'things gonna be the same as it was 'fore it all happened. But, I love you, Chloe. I woul'nt be here if it wasn't for you, and you know that. We lost a lot, we lost er'thing. But we have the kids, and each other, and I can live with that."

I nodded my head slowly and his thumbs skimmed my cheeks, wiping away the tears. He kissed me softly and then pulled me into his lap as he made his way to my neck.

"Shane," I mumble against his lips after a few minutes.

"Hmm?" He hummed and made his way back to my neck.

"I have some pancakes to make."

He smiled and helped me up before kissing me again.

"I love you, too," I said in response to his earlier statement. "Tonight," I winked before going into the kitchen.

As I checked my phone, missed calls and messages from Rick, Michonne, Carol, Glenn, Maggie and even Daryl fill my notification banner. I smile at Shane who looks up from his phone, no doubt having the same amount of calls and messages. I quickly send a group message to everyone and then get started making breakfast, hoping that I have enough bacon to feed everyone.

"Mommy, Uncle Rick's here," Riley yells looking out the window.

Shane goes to answer the door, letting Rick, Carl, and Judith in. Judith goes with Riley and Brantley in the playroom even though she's several years older, and Carl sits on the couch watching TV.

The rest of the group shows up within the next hour and soon we are all sitting around my dining table eating our fill of bacon, eggs and pancakes. As I look at all of the people around me, I can't help but feel immense happiness. We may have lost everything during those years. We were scared and barely able to survive. But we made it. And now here we are, ten years later. We're family. We treasure every single person in this group because we all remember. We remember the pain, the loss, the suffering and the anguish. We remember having to fight for every meal and every breath, for every life that now fills my house.

The world is back to the way it was, but none of us will never be the same. In all of our basements, we have piles of food, water and other supplies. We have a plan on where to meet if everything gets bad again. We look over our shoulders when we go to check the mail. We have a gun in virtually every room in the house. We're ready. But until then, we live. We live like there won't be a tomorrow. And for right now, that's enough for me.


	2. Note

I would like to thank the few people that have read this story and my reviewer that would like for me to continue. As Season 7 approaches us, I'm getting the fever again, and I would be more than happy to work on some more chapters for this story. Ultimately, the first chapter will probably become a preface and I'll add on from there. Keep an eye out for more, I'll get started on it pretty soon and can hopefully have something posted in the next week or two.


	3. Chapter 1

"Shane!" I yell, looking all around me out into the mess of woods. "Shane!"

Suddenly, an arm wraps around me and a hand is placed firmly over my mouth. I try to scream and run, but I'm jerked backwards.

"Shh, shh, shh," I hear whispered in my ear. "S'okay."

I relax the second I hear Shane's voice.

"But ya gotta stop shoutin," he chuckles.

"I couldn't find you," I say as I turn and wrap my arms around his neck.

"We needa move," he says a moment later while his hands rest on my hips.

I reach for the pistol that is currently tucked under the waistband of my jeans, successfully pulling them down lower on my hips than they belong, and hand it back to him. He always makes me carry it when we separate in case I need more help than just a knife can offer. He tucks it into his pants so it rests on his lower back and then he pulls me farther into the woods.

"The river we're s'posed to meet at is just b'yond these trees," he says as he scans his eyes all around us for any signs of trouble.

We walk for what feels like days. Finally, he stops short and sticks his arm out, keeping me in place. He motions for me to stay put and then inches forward, his gun gripped firmly in his hand. He disappears behind the brush and my heart stop's beating. A moment late he reappears and leads me through.

"Oh, good," I sigh when I see that Glenn secured us some tents.

"Some of us will have to share, but it's better than nothing, " he shrugs.

"Have you seen the others?"

I look from Rick, to Glenn, to Michonne. They all seem to be too quiet.

"Carl's in the tent with Judith," Rick motions with his head. "Got separated from Daryl and the rest."

"They're supposed to meet us back here though," Glenn says.

He's trying to act calm, but I can tell that he's worried: he and Maggie got separated.

"She'll be okay," I nod reassuringly at him.

"We'll sleep in shifts," Rick says. "Change out every few hours."

"I'll take the first shift," Shane says.

"I'll go next," Michonne says. "Then Glenn, Chloe and Rick."

Everyone goes their separate ways: Rick goes into the tent with Carl and Judith, Michonne and Glenn take another tent and Shane takes his gun and leans up against a tree stump. He doesn't say another word. He's been distant lately. Aside from the affection he showed earlier in the woods, he's barely acted like I exist. I think he's still mad that I didn't tell him my secret sooner and that he had to find out because they all wanted an explanation for why their lives were in even greater danger. I never meant for anyone else to find out, and I certainly didn't want them to find out that way. It still eats away at me. All of it.

I turn and go inside the tent, eyeing the fresh sleeping bags stashed inside. I wonder where Glenn found this stuff. I grab my pack and pull out a fresh pair of clothes. I've already lost track of how long I've been wearing this set. I also take out one of the bars of soap that I managed to find the last time we made a supply run. There was a small pharmacy that had been boarded up pretty good from the very beginning, so no one had taken the time to get in. One of the hardest parts of this, for me, is the lack of hygiene. So, I grabbed as many bars of soap as I could, a couple bottles of shampoo and a tube of toothpaste. I use it sparingly, twice a week at the most, when I get a chance.

I take the supplies and head down to the bank of the river. I stare at it for a moment, trying to discern which way is down stream - I don't want to contaminate the drinking water. I take my boots and socks off, then my flannel shirt, and start unbuttoning my pants.

"What d'ya thank yer doin?" Shane asks, walking over.

"I'm taking a bath," I respond sharply.

"Not righ' here, yer not."

"The water runs downstream here, it won't contaminate the water," I say simply, beginning to slide my jeans down my hips.

"Dammit, Chloe," he hisses. "Put yer clothes back on."

"What's your problem?" I roll my eyes as he picks up my shirt and throws it at me.

"My problem," he says quickly and gruffly, "is with you takin yer clothes off fer ev'r'body to see."

"Why should you have a problem with that?" I raise my eyebrow. "It's not like you minded getting undressed for any and everything with a skirt, including married women."

It was a low blow and I knew it. A look of hurt flashed across his face so quickly that if I hadn't staring at him so intently I would have missed it. I know he hadn't intended to get involved with Lori, and I know that he thought Rick was dead, but it still stung. I shouldn't hold something against him that happened before I ever knew him, but I knew Lori. I knew how beautiful she was and I know that in his mind, he believed he was in love with her. Maybe he was, who am I to say for sure. What I did know for a fact is that I was nothing compared to Lori, so if he really did love her, there's no way he could actually care for me. That certainly would explain the way he's been treating me lately.

"If yer gon'be out here anyway, you can g'head and take yer shift," he said leaning his shotgun against a tree trunk and heading into the tent.


	4. Chapter 2

"What're you doing up?" I hear Rick's voice.

"Shane decided to switch shifts," I answer casually.

"Don't worry bout him too much," he says. "I've known Shane for a long time. He's hotheaded. He don't mean nothing by it. He'll cool down and come back out like a wounded puppy."

"He's been different lately," I shake my head. "Since he found out."

"Shane Walsh has his fair share of secrets and indiscretions," Rick scoffs.

"I know," I nod. "Some of those still haunt him."

"He'll get over it," Rick laughs. "Always has, always will."

"Why are you up?" I ask, trying to change the subject.

"I don't sleep much," he sighs. "Plus, I had to feed Judith."

"I didn't hear her cry," I frown.

Maybe I'm not as observant as I like to credit myself.

"She didn't," he shakes his head. "I can't say for sure, but it's like she knows she can't cry. Like she can feel the tension and she just knows that she has to stay quiet."

"Babies are very perceptive," I smile slightly. "I read a lot about it before this all happened."

"Did you have names picked out?" He asks.

"I had a list full," I try to smile, subconsciously rubbing my hand over my stomach. "Just hadn't decided on any yet."

"Why don't you get some sleep?" He says. "I'm up anyway."

"Your shift is later though," I protest. "You need to at least try to get some sleep."

"I'm fine," he insists. "You need to get some rest. Your body is still healing. We need you strong."

"Okay," I finally relent since he shows no sign of budging.

I walk over to the tent slowly, hoping that Shane will be asleep. I try to stay as quiet as I can, but of course I step on something sharp.

"Shit!" I huff and nearly fall over trying to get off of whatever I stepped on.

I hear Shane stir and freeze. I try to locate the source of the stabbing pain, but I have no such luck in the dark.

"What're ya doin, girl?" I hear Shane ask sleepily and then a flashlight comes on.

"I, uh," I stumble over my words. "I stepped on something. It stabbed me in the foot."

I look over, everything now illuminated, and see that the culprit was a piece of his belt buckle.

"Sorry," he mutters and reaches to move it.

"No big deal," I say nonchalantly.

I move away from the belt, and from him, and over to where the second sleeping bag is spread out, as far from him as it could possibly be in this tiny space.

"Thought ya might want yer own space," he says as if reading my mind.

"Hmm?" I ask casually. "Oh, yeah, whatever."

I try not to make eye contact, or else I'll get lost in an abyss. I try not to notice the contrast between his tan skin and the still-bright gold of the necklace that he never takes off. Or the way his muscles contract when he moves.

"I'm gonna, um, get some sleep," I turn away quickly.

"Chloe," he says huskily.

Every time he says my name I feel like I'm going to melt. I turn around, and there he is, standing right behind me.

"It's late. We really need to..."

His hands on both sides of my face stop me mid-sentence. He stares directly into my eyes and I can feel myself becoming engulfed in his presence.

"I'm sorry," he apologizes, a rarity for Shane Walsh. "I overreacted."

"No," I swallow hard. "I shouldn't have said what I did."

"You were right," he states at me even harder. "I jus' don't like the idea of you gettin undressed for other people."

"I don't understand," my eyebrows furrow.

Before I can say another word, he pulls me closer to him and forcefully matches his mouth to mine. I can feel my head becoming foggy as he kisses me deeper and I begin to feel like I'm floating. I can feel us moving, but I don't register what's happening until I feel his weight on top of me. He places his mouth on my neck and I take a sharp breath in. I feel his hands all over my body and I know that I will forever remember this night as the first night that I let Shane Walsh have his way with me.


	5. Chapter 3

"Can I ask you something?" Carl asks as he sits down beside me around the small fire that was made so we could cook the meat that Shane got for us early this morning.

"Yeah, sure," I nod.

I can feel every eye on me, and when I glance up, Shane is staring a hole through me from across the way.

"Do you think Judith knows that Mom isn't here?"

I can feel heat spreading all through me. Not only is there the question of whether or not Judith is actually Rick's, but then there's the whole topic that everyone, except for Rick last night, has been trying to avoid: my secret.

"I'm not sure," I tell him honestly.

"Your baby could hear your voice even though it wasn't born yet, right?"

"Carl," Rick shoots a glare at his son and an apologetic look to me.

"It's okay," I try to offer a small smile.

I know Carl thinks he's being respectful to Michonne by asking me this question instead of her, especially since Michonne has made it abundantly clear that she will not be discussing anything about the family she used to have, but I'm still worried that this will open too many wounds for her.

"From what I read," I pause. "I'm pretty sure, yeah."

"So, since Judith hasn't heard Mom's voice around her..." he trails off.

I can tell that the idea of this is really bothering him and it breaks my heart.

"Ya know," I smile at him. "Judith could hear your voice, too. And your dad's. And everyone else. Don't get me wrong, your mom was an extremely important person, but Judith has so many people that love her and are here to take care of her. And she's still so young. If you're worried that she's missing your mom, she isn't."

"Do you miss your baby?" He suddenly asks.

My heart sinks a little and I'm waiting for interference, but it doesn't come. All eyes are still on me and everyone has a curious expression on their face.

"I miss both of them," I answer truthfully. "The first time, I was only a week away from finding out if it was gonna be a little boy or a little girl. Then all this started, so I didn't get to find out. When I lost the baby, it was hard. I had been carrying him or her for almost 6 months. And then..."

I haven't shared this part with anyone yet, and telling it now with everyone staring at me, and with things still a little weird with Shane, it makes it even harder.

"When I knew that something was wrong, nothing could be done to save it. It was a little girl. I would have died if we hadn't been lucky enough to find a doctor on the road. I got to hold her for a minute before he took her away."

I pause a moment to catch my breath. Despite the pain this is causing, it actually feels a little bit good to get it all out and in the open.

"The next time, I wasn't very far along. I miscarried after only a few weeks. Even though I didn't really get to have either of them, I still felt connected to them. Judith will always feel connected to your mom, and so will you. The lucky part for you, though, is that have a ton of memories of your mom. Judith won't have those, but she'll feel connected to her and she'll have you to share your memories with her. But I promise, Carl, she isn't missing your mom right now."

I didn't realize I was crying until Glenn hands me the clean shirt that he had been preparing to change into. I give him a small smile and Carl stares at the ground.

"I'm sorry," he says after a moment. "I shouldn't have brought it up."

"It's okay," I shake my head. "It was kind of nice to talk about it. To get it out there."

Everyone stays quiet while they eat their food. The only one to break the silence is Shane, and he does so by suddenly cursing under his breath and throwing down the stick he had been using to poke the fire. He stomps off into the woods and everyone watches him disappear.

"I'll go talk to him," Rick offers.

"No," I frown. "I'll go."

I thank Glenn for loaning me his shirt while I give it back to him, and then I head off into the woods, listening for the twigs snapping underneath Shane's feet. I follow the sound, making my way through the brush, and find him leaning up against a tree. He turns away, rubbing the back of his head, when he sees me.

"What's your problem?"

It comes out of my mouth before I can stop it. I planned to approach this a bit more delicately, but now that it's out there, I'll make of it what I can.

"What's my problem?" He asks incredulously.

"That would be what I asked," I reply sarcastically. "Ever since I told everyone, you've been acting..."

"I been actin what?" He cuts in, an eyebrow raised in that trademark Shane way.

"Like you can't stand to be around me for more than five minutes. Last night excluded," I throw in. "And then this morning, Carl asks me to share something with him, and I do in hopes to make that poor kid feel better, and you storm off into the woods - alone might I add."

"I can handle myself," he scoffs.

"Look," I roll my eyes. "I'm sorry if Carl and I talking about Lori brought up old wounds and feelings for you. I get it, okay. I get that you still have feelings for her. But you don't need to take it out on everyone else and you sure as hell don't need to take it out on me. You don't wanna be around me? I'll go stay with Michonne and Glenn."

"Hey," he calls after me when I turn to walk away.

I ignore him calling after me and continue walking, but I don't get very far before he has ahold of my arm and is pulling me back.

"I ain't got feelins fer Lori," he looks me straight in the eye, a determined look on his face. "This ain't got nothin to do w'her."

"Then care to explain why you've suddenly been acting like a jerk all the time," I stare back at him, unwilling to back down.

"I," he falters for a minute. "I bet that lil girl woulda looked like you."

So that's what this is about.

"I can't stand thinkin bout what you been through," he shakes his head. "Thinkin bout those babies you lost. How beautiful you musta been w'those babies growin inside you."

His hand is slowly caressing my stomach, while the other finds its way to hold the side of my face.

"I been with a lotta women," he says. "Couldn't stand any of em. Didn't really care fer any of em. Since I met you, I ain't been able to thank bout anythang else. I never felt for anyone what I feel fer you. I love you, Chloe. An' I woulda loved those babies, too. Both o'em."

"I love you, too, Shane," I say breathlessly.

He wraps his arm around my hips and pulls me even closer to him and in seconds, his mouth is on mine in the most intoxicating kiss I've ever experienced. The stubble on his face is rough on my cheek, and his grip on my hips is a little too tight, but I don't budge. I welcome his tongue in my mouth and I can't help the moan that escapes me as his tongue meets with every inch of my mouth. He slides his hands down to my thighs and picks me up, pinning me between him and the tree he was leaning on earlier. I can't already can't breathe, but air starts coming in less and less as he slides one hand up my shirt and unclasps my bra. I have to break away, and when I do, he moves his mouth down to my neck, and I instantly recognize that I will remember this day as being the second time that I let Shane Walsh have his way with me.


	6. Chapter 4

I remember the day I first met Shane Walsh. I had been on the run for a few days, trying to escape those bastards. I didn't have any shoes, and my feet were scratched up and bleeding from walking through the forest, not to mention the glass from the car accident that I ended up stepping in. I wanted to stay out of sight, but I needed a guide and I needed to stop walking over broken twigs, so I walked along the edge of the road. I saw a Jeep coming towards me and all I could do was hope that it was someone friendly. I don't know what made him stop, especially knowing now how he feels about outsiders, but he did. He told me that there was a group of people staying on a farm not too far from there, and he could drop me off if I wanted.

I asked where he was going and he told me that he couldn't stay there anymore and he was just trying to decide where to go next. I talked him into letting me stay with him. We started out just being friends. He had my back and I had his - even though he never needed me too. I helped him get supplies when we needed to and even suggested a few places that he never would have thought of to find shelter.

By the time we met up with everyone at the prison, I knew that I was falling in love with him. He had briefly told me the story of Rick and Lori and everything that happened, but I didn't realize until I laid eyes on everyone that Lori had been my sister's best friend. Shane hadn't told me, however, that Lori was pregnant, and I knew why. I knew he thought that baby was his. I thought so, too. But everyone insisted that she's Rick's, so I let it go to avoid doing any further damage.

I think about all of this as we walk back toward camp. I can see him glancing over at me out of the corner of my eye and I can see the smirk playing at his lips.

"What?" I finally give in.

"Nothin," he smirks again.

I glance over at him and roll my eyes, then reach out to tuck down one of his curls that I had just had my hands tangled in moments earlier. I love that his curls are growing back after he shaved them off on the farm. He'd told me briefly about that situation, too.

We stay quiet the rest of the short walk back, but when we push through the brush and I see who is standing in the middle of our camp talking to Rick, I can't help but gasp. Before I can think it all through, and before Shane can react, I've pulled the pistol out from under the waistband of his pants, cocked it, and have it pressed directly against the back of that bastard's head.

"You sonuvabitch," I almost growl.

"Now, Chloe," he smirks. "You really shouldn't treat the father of your child like that."

That statement puts everyone into attack mode. Shane also draws his weapon, as does Rick. Michonne forces Carl back into the tent and Glenn has his hand on his gun, ready in case he's needed.

When I had to tell everyone that he was after me, I didn't quite give them all the details. There was one detail that I'd kept for myself, especially because the children had been present. But I knew that it was all about to come out.

"You need to leave," I say, pressing the barrel harder into his skull.

"Not without you," he shakes his head. "And not without my baby."

"There is no baby," I glare at him. "I lost it. And even if I hadn't, that baby would never be yours."

"I'm the one that gave it to you," he turns around to look me dead in the eye.

"I didn't ask you to."

My gun is now shoved against his forehead.

"I knew you wanted another baby," he shrugs.

"You raped me," I hiss, my finger tightening on the trigger.

I hear movement, and I see that Shane has moved closer to me. And then I realize that I did, in fact, just give away the only part of my secret that I had kept for myself.

"You liked it, you little whore."

That's all it takes for Shane to lose every bit of composure that I know he had been fighting to keep.

"You sick bastard," he growls, moving me out of the way and shoving Ian down to the ground in one fluid motion.

"Shane," Rick says calmly.

"Just gimme a reason," Shane growls as Ian struggles a bit.

Shane tightens the hold that he had around Ian's neck and I watch as he shoves him down further into the dirt and places his foot on the back of his neck.

"You move one inch an' I'll snap yer neck. You hear me? Do you hear me!?"

He adds a little more of his weight to prove his point and then he looks over at me.

"What'd'ya want done with em?" He asks.

I take a moment to consider it, and then I walk closer.

"Do what you need to do, Shane," I say and then I turn away.

I'm expecting to get some kind of protest from Rick, but instead he picks up Shane's knife that was sitting on a log and hands it to him. Shane yanks Ian up off the ground and pushes him forward into the woods. Everything is silent for a minute, and then Shane comes back and lays his knife down. It's covered in blood, and I can't help but smile. And then I suddenly feel sick. Shane rushes over and holds my hair back while I empty my stomach into the brush.

"S'okay," he soothes. "It's over now, girl."

"He has a friend," I manage to choke out. "He'll probably come looking for him."

"We'll be ready for it," Rick comments.

Shane hands me a bottle of water and I rinse my mouth out and then he helps me up.

"I should get started on the laundry," I say, gathering up the articles of clothing that are laying around the camp.

"How bout ya let someone else take care o'that today," Shane suggests.

"No," I shake my head. "I'd really like to get my mind off things."

Without another word I take the clothes and sit on the edge of the river, where the water runs downstream. I take my time washing each piece of clothing, allowing myself to get lost in the sound of the flowing water .


	7. Chapter 5

Once the sun goes down, we all sit around the small campfire while the three new members share parts of their stories. Shane is sitting behind me leaning against a log, and I have my back pressed against his chest. I stopped listening to what the others were saying hours ago. Instead, I've been thinking about everything that has taken place today.

"I never said I was sorry," I turn and whisper to Shane.

"Fer what?" he whisper back.

"Everything," I say. "And I didn't get to say thank you, either."

"Ain't nothin to thank me for," he says.

"Yes there is," I say, turning around a little more. "For helping me with my problem. I shouldn't have asked you to do that."

"What problem?" he lowers his eyebrows. "Ian?"

He spits his name like it's far worse than any of the other words that I've ever heard come out of his mouth.

"Ya ain't ever gotta apologize or thank me for gettin rid of that piece of shit," he says. "Whether you asked me to or not, the outcome woulda been the same. He was dangerous and he hurt you, and there ain't no way that I would take the chance that he could do somethin like that again. I've had to kill people before. Back in the day. Ain't somethin I'm proud of, but I ain't losin sleep over it. Not the ones that deserved it."

I know he's thinking about Otis right now. I know it still haunts him. Based on what I've heard, though, it sounds to me like he didn't have much of a choice. If he wanted to make it back alive so that Carl would live, too, he had to do what he had to do. I feel bad. But I can't say that I'd turn back time and change what happened. I know that it's selfish, but I wouldn't risk losing Shane for anything.

"I think we should pack up tonight," I hear Rick say. "Now that we're all back together, I think we should look for somewhere to go that's more permanent. When we were out today, a small herd passed by. I'm sure more will be coming soon. We can't stand here for much longer."

"Shouldn't we get some sleep, first?" Tara asks.

"I think we should try to get to Fort Benning." Rick says.

I feel Shane stiffen and when I glance over my shoulder, he looks like he's about to explode.

"Fort Benning?" Carol says. "Didn't..."

"Yes," Rick interrupts. "That's what Shane wanted to do instead of going to the CDC."

"What if there's nothing left?" Maggie asks.

"We can at least try to make a permanent shelter there," Rick answers. "It has to be more secure than anywhere else now that the prison is gone."

"What about Terminus?" Sasha says.

"Hell no," Shane finally speaks. "That's trouble waitin to happen."

"What do you think, Rick?" Michonne says.

Rick is silent for a few moments and I can't believe he's actually considering it.

"Not to bring to light old wounds," I say, "but the last time we didn't listen to Shane, we lost some good people and we had to leave the prison. I go where Shane goes."

Everyone is silent. They all turn and stare at Shane, waiting for him to give his opinion.

"Fort Benning," he says simply.

"Then Fort Benning it is," Rick nods.

"Remember that old guitar that I found back when we were on the farm?" Glenn asks suddenly.

"Yes," Maggie says. "But no one played."

"I found another one," Glenn grins. "I brought it back."

"But no one plays," Maggie repeats.

"Someone does," he says cryptically and smiles.

Everyone looks around, teying to figure out who it could be. It's not long before everyone looks to me.

"It's you, isn't it?" Maggie says.

I nod slightly, not liking the attention.

"Play," Glenn says, holding it out in my direction.

"We really shouldn't make that much noise," I shake my head.

"We're gonna be leaving tonight anyway," Glenn says. "We'll be gone before the Walkers make it here."

"Can't keep the people waiting," Rick says, taking th guitar from Glenn and handing it to me.

"I haven't played in a while," I protest.

"It'll be better than anything that we could do," Carol says.

I really hate Glenn right now. I left him in on that part of my life when he heard me singing to Judith the other day.

"Sing the song that you sang to Judith," he says.

What is he, a mind reader?

"Fine," I sigh.

I move to sit on top of the log that Shane is leaning against and take a deep breath. I quickly make sure it's tuned, and then I begin strumming. Everyone is staring at me and I really just want to hide, but I take the advice from the lyrics that I'm about to sing and keep going.

"Your light is inside of me

Like a raging roar

Like an ocean born

You're in my veins

Your voice is serenity

When the sun goes down

And the strength I've found

Is in my veins

Our story binds us

Like right and wrong

Your hand in mine

Marching to the beat of the storm

And we walk together into the light

And my love will be your armor tonight

We are lionhearts

And we stand together facing a war

And our love is gonna conquer it all

We are lionhearts."

Everything is silent all around me and I try not to meet anyone's eyes as I look around at the group, but just as I'm ready to start the next verse, Shane's eyes pull me in.

"You're here like a silhouette

When the darkness rules

You're the brightest moon

And I am safe

Our story binds us

Like right and wrong

Your hand in mine

Marching to the beat of the storm

And we walk together into the light

And my love will be your armor tonight

We are lionhearts

And we stand together facing a war

And our love is gonna conquer it all

We are lionhearts."

I force myself to look away from his mesmerizing stare. I've sang this song many times, to get me through many different situations, and I always find that the next part is the hardest for me to get out. It's always such an emotional experience for me when I sing, and this time is no different. Except this time, every single person that's here with me can relate, and their emotions are taking over my mind. I hold back tears that threaten to fall and take a small breath as I continue acapella.

"You're never far from where I am

Like a lighthouse, bring me home

You're never far from me

Let your spirit glow

And we walk together into the light

And my love will be your armor tonight

We are lionhearts."

I close my eyes as I begin to play again, ensuring that I don't have to look at anyone as I finish.

"And we stand together facing a war - a war

And our love is gonna conquer it all

We are lionhearts - hearts

And we walk together into the light - **_the light_**

And my love will be your armor _**tonight**_

 _ **We are lionhearts.**_ "

"You're really talented," Glenn says after a moment of silence. "Did you perform before all of this happened?"

"Sometimes," I say quietly. "It was always more of just a hobby."

"That was beautiful," Tara nods at me.

Everyone stays quiet after that. Then Rick makes th announcement that it's time to get packed. I get all of my bags and Shane goes to put them in his Jeep. While he's gone, I take the opportunity to hand out some of the extra bars of soap that I grabbed to give everyone. I'm standing in the tent staring at the guitar when Shane comes back in.

"Bring it with ya," he says.

"I dunno, Shane," I shake my head.

"Bring it. You can play when we find good shelter."

He doesn't say another word. He goes over and picks it up, grabs his bags, and heads back to the Jeep. Once everyone has everything packed, we pull out onto the road and move towards an unknown future.

* * *

The song is Lionheart by Demi Lovato. If you've never heard it, you should definitely look it up and listen to it.


End file.
